Unreasoned attacks

March 5, 2014Letters to the Editor

In our town, disingenuous adversaries disregard indisputable facts when attacking the views of their political opponents. Supporting a Republican Party in disarray, they retaliate with bitter resentment toward those who deplore the power and greed prevalent in America today. Some respond with letters so poorly written that they would disturb an elementary school teacher.

In his Feb. 19 letter, Itzi Meztli exposed our own county government as being “insulatedfrom harsh economic realities, while enjoying the benefits of a culture of waste and overspending.”

Also in the Feb. 19 Eagle, an editorial read. “Prices for common medical procedures and many life-saving drugs are much higher in the U.S. than in other countries.” Here’s proof. Last year, (unnecessary) blood work and CT scans were provided for a Medicare outpatient in advance of a simple 15-minute steroid injection procedure. His out-of-pocket net cost was $1,300. Tack on Medicare’s share, then draw your own conclusions.

These are the same folks who provide health care under “The Affordable Care Act”, the scapegoat in today’s health care debacle.

In 2011, when the top tax rate was 35 percent, a prominent political millionaire took advantage of tax loop holes to reduce his tax burden to a mere 14 percent.

A professional athlete signs a multimillion-dollar contract, while his boss provides him with a plush playground, paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Congressional Republicans support tax cuts for the wealthy and subsides for gas-gouging oil companies.

On the other hand, those 232 Republicans in Congress deny working Americans a minimum wage increase. They condone illegal immigrants harvesing our produce, yet refuse them immigration reform. This party of “no” recently reduced veterans’ benefits and food stamps, while disallowing unemployment benefits for the jobless. As those on the right decry ObamaCare, they work feverishly to replace it with inadequate, private health savings accounts.

Americans tolerate a Republican Party that instigates legislative gridlock and thrives on incivility. With all the shenanigans in Congress, we are complacent about removing the guilty party.